WHesterN Hemisphere

  While the world lived through another week of banking and mortgage uncertainty in the US, volatile oil markets, and much uncertainty on food prices and future supplies, the leaders of the G8 countries managed to spend a week together playing make-believe. Our own supreme leader,  Stephen Harper, seems to think that we haven’t caught on to the Neverland quality of his discourse and maintains that a strong word against Mugabe’s election fraud, and a professorial pronouncement that journalists and other leaders must look at the actual numbers on emissions and climate change to understand the issue, qualifies him for leadership and earns Canada a continuous seat at the table.

It is the same old story: we believe in free trade but defend supply management; we believe the US and Europe should eliminate agriculture subsidies, but give more to our corn ethanol producers than the US gives their own; and we think the world should eliminate emissions but have targets we know we can’t reach – point, full stop.  

Well, well…. There are many who are starting to question whether we should be there or not…. And most telling of all, the leaders of countries that actually count, such as China, India, and Brazil who got together at another venue (with Mexico and South Africa), didn’t so much as acknowledge the G8 in their declaration.  It seems that everyone is talking past each other.  

That in itself is worrisome. However, in Canada, where in April, for the first time in our history, the resource sector brought in more revenue than the manufacturing sector; where the single largest income earner of our economy – the Alberta oil sands – are being describe by the oil sector itself (in a daily bulletin at the World Petroleum Congress) as the “foul sands”; and where the federal government sets emission reduction targets that are impossible to achieve; Harper’s make-believe world is downright troublesome.  

Perhaps there was a time where we could talk with both sides of our mouth…but these times are long gone. Now the world is watching and we are held accountable. . Perhaps it is time our government realizes that the ‘let’s pretend’game is up….it is time to grow up. 

Do check the CIGI crew’s G8 Blog athttp://g8toyako.wordpress.com… their articles are wonderful.